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“Easter Message 2014”, by Fr. Reu Galoy, OFM

Easter after Easter we hear of the celebration of new life, of the joy of being forgiven and redeemed, of our Lord Jesus rising from the dead, of suffering turning into glory. Life has the last word over death, joy over pain, forgiveness over sin. But as the stone is rolled and the tomb is exposed and we see that it is empty – we, the followers of Him who traced the journey from the upper room to the garden and to Golgotha and now the tomb ask – where is our Lord?

Where is our Lord Jesus? Where can he be found?
“He is not here … in the tomb.” In a few days we will also hear it said, “Do not look for Him among the dead, he is not here.” Jesus is alive, is among the living, is out there! Jesus has changed location – from the tomb, from a place of darkness and coldness to a place where there is warmth and light. Jesus is in every place where there are compassionate hearts. This is the place that transforms suffering, sin and pain. This is the new place where Jesus can be found.

Jesus comes out to share, once more, the gift of salvation and the grace of fullness of life. He instructs the two Mary(s) to go and tell this good news to others. And to those who will believe he will meet them in the Galilee of their lives.

What is the challenge of the resurrection for us today? Or better still, what is it for us to be a forgiven people and an Easter community? What actions speak of keeping the memory of the Savior alive? How can we let others, especially those who are still in places of darkness and coldness, in the tombs of poverty and despair, join us to sing alleluia and jump for joy at the gift of a new and full life? How can we live Jesus’ parting words at the last supper – “Do this in memory of me?”

May Easter joy be a gift shared with others, not a possession kept to our selves!

***

About Fr. Reu and his reflections.

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“Transfiguration: A Lenten Journey to Reclaim the Divine Presence in Our Life,” by Fr. Reu Jose C. Galoy, OFM

The essence of transfiguration begins in our fidelity to God’s mission, appreciation of our own humanity, and celebrating life’s potential as God’s gift to all.

Listening to the radio was one of the best pastimes I and my friends usually spent in my home province. We talked about the stories we heard – as if we were active participants and shapers of scenarios in the story. At some other time, debating on a particular topic consumed our entire afternoon. I still can recall vividly one of our most interesting discussions on selecting your future wife or husband. One of us will volunteer to provide the problem or situation. For instance, when you choose your future wife or husband, will it be someone who is good looking or beautiful but with undesirable attitude; or the other way around, ugly but with good character and attitude? After our long discussion and debate, the person who provided the case made his/her position. For this particular case, the answer was, character and attitude can be changed but there is no hope to change an ugly face.

This idea might be true twenty years ago but does not hold true today. The advent of technology, plastic surgery or altering and enhancing some parts of our body can be done easily especially if one has the financial resources. There are pros and cons that go with it; the discussion requires another avenue of expression. My simple point is, there are different ways and means for change to happen. And it should not be limited to the physical aspect of our humanity nor to prioritize the external over the internal dimension of our being.

Michael Kent succinctly put it in this way: Everyone is unimaginably complex; there is always more to us than what is visible. Our purpose in life is to let our complexity unfold. While we all have our own pace, it is our destiny to achieve the fullness of humanity in our lifetime. The possibilities for our development are beyond measure. We become “transfigured” as we achieve more and more our potential and let the best in us shine through. Every day presents a new opportunity to expand our horizons, develop new talents, better ourselves and the lives of the people we love around us. Divine-like qualities of expanded vision, unconditional love, tolerance, forgiveness, and wisdom are waiting to be revealed in us.

Indeed, the transfiguration of Jesus is an invitation for all us to live a meaningful life. This journey might not be easy because it will demand from us the process of self-denial, selfemptying, and self-sacrifice as Jesus did. Paradoxically, it is the means for us to see through these events that by being for others and with others we can uniquely see the divine presence in a humble way. The essence of transfiguration begins in our fidelity to God’s mission, appreciation of our own humanity, and celebrating life’s potential as God’s gift to all.

About Fr. Reu and more of his reflections.

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“God of The Living: A challenge to re-frame our humanity”, by Fr. Reu Galoy, OFM

Enhance your life every day by pondering that life shares God’s life. Place your hope on immortality, not on fears your ego has over extinction, but on an understanding of your true inner being.– Michael R. Kent

Fear of the unknown is something we have to reckon with. The easy way to cope with this is either to deny it or negotiate the existence of the afterlife. It all depends on how we view our life in relation to God and the way we value our humanity. Yet, both are expressions of our crafted meaning and the relevance of God’s gift of freedom. This Sunday’s readings provide us with a faith- response to the question of the resurrection of the dead which for us Christians is a fundamental tenet of our faith. Let us take a look at the Gospel reading.

The Sadducees and Pharisees are often mentioned together, but in their beliefs they are poles apart. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection because they believed only what was revealed in the written Torah. They totally rejected the oral Torah or the traditions held by the Pharisees.

The hypothetical question of the Sadducees on whose wife the woman will be at the resurrection since all seven brothers have been married to her is primarily intended to know on whose side Jesus is – is Jesus on their side or the Pharisees’? On the other hand, the practice of Pharisees that a man takes the widow of his brother is demanded by the law that seeks to guarantee family continuity (Dt. 25:5-10). John J. Pilch claims that this pattern of thinking is family-centered and this-worldly. In consideration of the Middle-Eastern culture, it means continuity of the lineage of the husband and in a male dominated culture, the woman-wife’s role was subjected to this law.

It appears at first glance that the issue at stake is about the resurrection of the dead. But if we take a closer look at the conversation, the primary concern is to push Jesus to take sides – either of the power-brokers that made use of the written or oral tradition or of the law to perpetuate their influence on the lives of other people. In short, they were trying to religiously manipulate Jesus.

In response, Jesus took their argument or question from the point of the God of the living. He pointed out that Moses himself had heard God say, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Ex. 3:1-6), and that it was impossible that God is the God of the dead. Filch pointed out that Jesus explains that immortal beings (angels) do not need to reproduce, only human beings do so in order to ensure the continuity of the race. He identifies these immortals as “children of God,” a favourite Old Testament name for angels (Gen. 6:2; Job 1:6) since they share in the resurrection, a life-giving act of God.

Apart from the content of their argument, the process Jesus applied is something to learn from pastorally. Jesus used arguments that people he was arguing with could understand. He talked to them in their own language, he met them on their own ground and with their own ideas, and that is precisely why the common people understood his point. We will be far better teachers of Christianity and far better witnesses for Christ when we learn to do the same, says William Barclay.

For our daily meditation and Christo-praxis, Michael R. Kent made a very challenging invitation for us to consider:
One of the most important, and rewarding, reflections you can make is about your spiritual nature. Spend some time reflecting on who you are. Enhance your life every day by pondering that life shares God’s life. Place your hope on immortality, not on fears your ego has over extinction, but on an understanding of your true inner being. Sharing God’s life, you live eternally as God lives eternally. It is all one life! Take heart and enjoy that the one life you share from God makes you immortal.

Our faith in the resurrection modifies our whole way of looking at human existence and the way we relate to people and nature.

as published on November 10, 2013, Parish Bulletin
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“Discipleship: Hospitality in Reverse”, by Fr. Reu Galoy, OFM

Discipleship then is first and foremost “going to Jesus” and finding time to listen so we can do what God wills.

Hospitality is one of the remarkable traits of Filipinos. We love to prepare something special for our guests. Others would even spend beyond their means to give their best. For some it is an issue of practicality, for others it is but an expression of valuing people even if it would mean sacrifice for them. For moralists, it can be an issue of right or wrong priority. For power trippers, the act can either be of subservience or of control. An ordinaryevent is open to various interpretations and sense-making.

In the case of our Gospel this Sunday, I strongly believe that Jesus’ answer to Martha: “…you are worried and troubled about many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Lk. 10:41-42) is not a judgment on whether Martha’s action is right or wrong because God created each of us unique. What then does this encounter convey and challenge the disciples of Jesus, the man from Nazareth and Son of the compassionate God?

To connect our reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel with that of last Sunday, allow me to refresh your memory with the gospel story of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25-37). While the parable of the Good Samaritan answered the question – who is my neighbor, let us look at the action or movement of the characters. The priest and the Levite WENT AWAY from the victim because both needed to prepare themselves for their respective services. The Samaritan, on the other hand, CAME NEAR to the victim with compassion. The story in today’s Gospel indicates a similar movement, Mary CAME NEAR to Jesus to listen to him and Martha WENT AWAY from Jesus because she was doing other things, presumably also for Jesus, the guest. Furthermore, the intentions of “coming near” to Jesus were different for the two sisters. Mary came to Jesus to listen (Jesus is an active presence). Martha came near to air out her concerns and complaints (Jesus in passive presence).

If the Parable of the Good Samaritan answered the question that the neighbor is any person in need, in the context of our Gospel today can we raise the question of who God is in the person of Jesus? Can we dare answer that God is someone who needs our active listening and that BEING WITH HIM is far more important than the best of what we do for Him. Being with God is an experience that no other force can take away from us and which we can joyfully share with others.

Discipleship then is first and foremost “going to Jesus” and finding time to listen so we can do what God wills. Hospitality is one expression of this discipleship that values the guest rather than what the host can do for the guest.

Let us LISTEN MORE to render our BEST SERVICE!!!

as published, July 21, 2013 Parish Bulletin READ MORE articles by Fr. Reu >>>>>

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“Compassion Leads to Action”, by Fr. Reu

What belongs to Jesus – his authority and triumph over death — he first shared with the lowly.

Both the first reading and the gospel present two almost similar stories of God’s action of bringing bring back to life a dead person. It is easy to rationalize these events especially in terms of acknowledging God’s power over death – the forces of evil and death are no match compared to the forces of good and life and that God never allows suffering and sorrow to overshadow compassion and comfort. Let us reflect on some of the details specifically on the gospel.

The weeping of the mother, a widow, for her only son is essentially for herself than for her son. While death brings sadness, it also frees the person from so many concerns and responsibilities in order to overcome the different challenges of life. The cultural setting of this widow and mother placed her in isolation, alienation and in the margins — or worst, as a non-existent person in the community because she has no husband or a son to protect and to give her identity. Her son’s death is hers too. In this context, to be physically dead is better than the suffering of emotional death or having physical life but bereft of meaning.

On the part of Jesus, this is not the first time he encounters people going to bury a dead person for his was a mobile office … he was always with people on the road. His compassion to this widowed mother flowed out from his knowledge of his Father who is compassionate and to which he invites his followers to be like him. Jesus acted upon what he saw and felt for this weeping mother by giving back life to her son so she may have life as well. It makes us think that this new life for the son is not for himself but for his powerless mother – God’s way of taking good care of God’s partner in nurturing and propagating the precious gift of life.

The prophetic side of Jesus’ action is his ability to use his authority and power to ensure that those considered insignificant are not relegated to the sideline or to the margins but are protected and that their dignity are preserved. What belongs to Jesus — his authority and triumph over death — he first shared with the lowly. This is truly the Gospel incarnate in the person of Jesus – the action of Jesus at Nain — God telling us to reject all forms of evil, of separation, alienation, marginalization and deprivation that leads to human suffering. Truly, it is Jesus’ compassion that leads to life-giving action.

as published in the Parish Bulletin, June 16, 2013

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“The New Commandment”, Fifth Sunday of Easter, by Fr. Reu

Jesus said to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, so also must you love one another” (In 13:34). The measuring stick of Christian love then is not our “selves” but Jesus.

I once heard in a send-off gathering: “the pain of hello is goodbye”. Separation is always painful, especially in established relationships, because presence is irreplaceable. Absence is often considered as a situation of disequilibrium, disharmony, lack, insecurity and vulnerability, and sometimes of negativity. And although human beings can adapt with absence with the passage of time, yet deep within the human heart is a longing for fulfillment, for reunion, for restoration, for a return. One of the ways the human heart copes with absence is to remember – or keep alive in one’s memory the words and actions of the beloved.

Our Gospel this Sunday talks about the farewell instruction of Jesus to his disciples through a new commandment. Jesus comes like a parent who issues reminders before leaving home — “be good and behave well”. In the Filipino tradition, we think of the “paalala” (reminder), or at the death bed, the so-called huling habilin (final instruction). For most part, the instruction consists of caring for one another especially the weaker members and to maintain harmony with one another. How these “last words” could influence our lives would depend on how much we value the person saying them.

Jesus said to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as I have loved you, so also must you love one another” (Jn 13:34). But is there really something new in this “new commandment”? In the Hebrew Scriptures we read: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev 19:18). Jesus, on the other hand, said, “love as I have loved you.” The measuring stick of Christian love then is not our “selves” but Jesus. And the cross is the symbol of this love – undeserved, sacrificial, unconditional, and redemptive. This love knows no boundaries – it goes out to the poor, the sick, outcast, wicked, corrupt and sinful. It is a love that embraces sin and suffering and transforms them from within, as only gratuitous loving can. It is a love that empties out in self-giving.

The Christian approach to loving is an invitation of Jesus to consider life and love as self-effacing, community-oriented, and God-centered. It empowers us to love because we have been loved first by Jesus. Finally, by loving we come to know more who we are and how God works through us. This is Jesus’ farewell instruction because this “new commandment”, which is a “new kind of love”, will manifest his presence among us. We then become his witnesses to the world.

As published on April 28, 2013, SSAP Parish Bulletin

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